Jump directly to the content
HIDE AND TWEET

Can you spot the perfectly camouflaged owl taking a quick nap on a dry stone wall in the Peak District?

A TINY owl can be seen taking a sneaky nap on a stone wall - but is so well camouflaged many may struggle to spot it.

Wildlife photographer Villager Jim captured the moment near Tideswell, Peak District, as the small bird took a quick rest.

Can you spot the feathery friend?
3
Can you spot the feathery friend?Credit: Mercury
Photographer Villager Jim captured the moment the small bird took a quick rest
3
Photographer Villager Jim captured the moment the small bird took a quick restCredit: Mercury

He said: "I love more than anything finding new little owls along the lanes, as more often that not they sit there and watch you go past, with 999 out of a 1000 people not even knowing they are there.

"All the shots you see are less than 15 feet from the road side."

The bird appears to be a Little Owl, a species that is typically encountered over most of the Peak District region.

Its plumage seems the perfect camouflage, making visitors having to look twice.

The Peak District attracts just about every owl from the official British List, given its ideal mix of habitat.

The reason for their success in the region is down to the abundance of suitable old buildings as nest sites, and the good acreage of rough unimproved grassland - home to small rodents that make up the bulk of their diet.

The owls will also eat frogs, beetles, moths, small roosting birds and have even been observed plunging into water after fish.

Your best bet to spot some owls in the Peak District, especially in the summer months, is to head for somewhere with very quiet country lanes.

Spotted: the Little Owl blending into the wall as he has an afternoon snooze
3
Spotted: the Little Owl blending into the wall as he has an afternoon snoozeCredit: Mercury
Topics